APA-Dar es Salaam (Tanzania) A senior official of the Tanzanian government has claimed the Marburg virus is under control in the northwest of the country, APA learnt on Monday.
Ummy Ally Mwalimu, Health Minister declared that the outbreak of the deadly virus in Kagera region has been officially contained.
He said however that the authorities will continue to maintain active surveillance for 42 more days before declaring an end to the outbreak.
”Tanzania is safe for tourists” the minister said.
Marburg virus disease is extremely virulent and causes hemorrhagic fever, with a mortality rate of up to 88 percent.
Tanzania in March confirmed its first-ever cases of the disease after laboratory tests were carried out following reports of cases and deaths in the Kagera region in the northwest of the country, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
Tanzania’s National Public Health Laboratory analysed samples to determine the cause of the illness after eight people developed symptoms, including fever, vomiting, bleeding and kidney failure.
Five of the eight cases, including a healthcare worker died while the other three patients were being treated.
A total of 161 contacts were identified.
WN/as/APA